Author: Raphaël Tournaire

Jeanne Lions
Finance and IT Director at Tournaire for the past 20 years.
Head of the crisis unit.

What can we learn from this period? 

The assessment of this period is that, thanks to the involvement of all employees, we were able to put in place the conditions that allowed us to continue the activity. We must, therefore, collectively thank all of the employees present. Present not only physically but also morally by maintaining a serene atmosphere.

The bottom line is also that, fortunately or unfortunately, we can never predict the future and that, more than ever, it is important for a company to be agile and responsive, to know how to question all plans in order to adapt to the economic, environmental or social environment. This is our raison d’être.

It is now necessary to take into consideration this variable which today is COVID-19 but tomorrow may be another virus. At Tournaire, we must implement structures and resources in order to live with this health risk over the long term, both internally and in our daily exchanges with our customers and suppliers. We must arm ourselves to counter any future attack and be able to react as quickly as possible.

What is post-confinement for Tournaire? 

At Tournaire, we have not experienced any disruption in our activity. We have experienced a drop in activity and a high absenteeism rate. There is no post-confinement in the company but a post-confinement in society. It is when we reintegrate employees who are today absent that we will have to adopt all of the recommendations on social distancing and barrier measures. This also requires us to communicate constantly to enable all of our employees to act correctly in the face of this threat that, unfortunately, will probably last for many months.

What advice would you give to your fellow directors in the region? 

Do not hesitate to communicate and share and rely on the advice of our professional associations, which are precious collectors and transmitters of information.

Jeanne Lions
Finance and IT Director at Tournaire for the past 20 years.
Head of the crisis unit.

What has been the most impact difficult aspect during this period ? 

Difficulty in obtaining protective equipment

In order to maintain production in good sanitary conditions, it was extremely difficult to find the necessary protective equipment for employees. We were forced to multiply the sources of supply and spent a lot of time finding visors, masks and hydro-alcoholic gels. It took a lot of networking and ingenuity to find this equipment.

Constantly reassuring employees at our various sites

What was also difficult was to maintain a very high level of communication with each of our employees so that everyone felt reassured, as this period has been extremely anxiety-inducing.

We also had to manage our subsidiaries, in particular Tournaire Plastic at the Fragne site, in relation to both the supply of protective equipment and communications with employees.

Be more vigilant on managing cash and stress with our partners

Among the difficulties generated by the current crisis, we have noted the need to be extremely vigilant with regard to late payments, which have doubled during this period. We have also noted that we must manage the stress not only of our employees but also of our customers and suppliers in order to create the most serene relationship possible.

I would like to very much thank the members of our crisis management unit, particularly Christelle Baudequin and her theoretical and methodological contribution in relation to quality, safety and the environment. Cathy Lecurieux is extremely dynamic and quick to relay our communications on a daily and permanent basis and I thank Human Resources for their role with our employees. I would also like to thank the IT department for its rapidity and the staff representative bodies with whom we have had an ongoing, constructive, dialogue to help us implement all of the means of prevention. Lastly, I would also like to thank the Metallurgy Industry and Trades Union (UIMM), which is a source of information and valuable advice that has relayed to us information from the government that can be assimilated in our region.

Eric Lefebvre –
Production Manager at Tournaire for the past 28 years.

What is the impact of this crisis on Tournaire’s production? 

At Tournaire, the primary impact was the 30% employee absenteeism, so we had to adapt. The impact was also noticeable at our suppliers and subcontractors, as some had reduced or even stopped their activity. We also noted logistical breakdowns on planes and boats, as chartering was sometimes very complex to implement.

We have, therefore, reorganized all of our production opertions.

During this period of containment, we had 25 to 30% of employees absent, but, thanks to the mobilization of employees from offices who came to help with production, we had a production level of 85% compared to the usual production.

What steps have you taken to manage this crisis?

The first measure was health-related: we deployed all of the means of health prevention for our employees thanks to our crisis unit and our quality, safety and environment manager. Then we reorganized production to give priority to priority lines where we had huge demand, for example for the pharmaceutical industry. After the initial sudden and intense phase, we were able, on the one hand, thanks to the versatility of our teams (set up years ago) to assign staff to priority lines. On the other hand (having decided not to recruit staff from outside the company), we called on all the dynamic forces present in the company, whether in support services, industrial methods, design office or even the sales department, who came to lend us a hand in production on operator or packaging posts.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the production staff, team leaders, management, operators, drivers and setters who have really stepped up to the plate throughout this crisis.

I would also like to thank all of the support services that have helped us.

This mobilization of each department has created a dynamic, a surge of solidarity and I felt a very strong spirit of mutual aid between all of the employees present at the site.

What ave you concluded as a result of this period of crisis? 

We found that the employees present were very implicated and truly wanted to satisfy customers. I would like to stress this point: this created a real dynamic, an impetus of solidarity between the departments. The various departments were thus able to exchange ideas, they communicated in a better manner and understood each other’s difficulties. I would like to capitalize on this period of solidarity and communication, which was very enriching for everyone. We are thinking about how to maintain this permanent exchange and cohesion throughout the year, in a more serene period.

Some advice to your fellow directors in the region?

The advice I would give is not to be blocked by fear but to implement all of the necessary measures to maintain activity. Thanks to these measures, by communicating a lot in the field and making sure that the health measures are respected, we are able to ensure production under good conditions, including for three-shift operations.

Luke Tournaire
Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tournaire

Grasse, 29 April 2020.

Your thoughts on experiencing this period of confinement at Tournaire?  

Tournaire experienced this first part of the crisis very well due to the mobilisation of the majority of the staff and a very strong involvement of the crisis unit that we set up at the beginning of the confinement resulting from the appearance of COVID. This unit did a remarkable job and we were able to very quickly put in place the protections and procedures necessary to guarantee the health and safety of all employees who were able to continue working.

During this period of confinement, we had 25 to 30% of employees absent, but thanks to the mobilization of office employees who came to help with production, we had a production level of 85% compared to the usual production.

How did your staff cop during this difficult period? 

I am aware that this period has been difficult for everyone and I would like to thank all of the staff who have mobilized despite what I know is an anxiety-provoking situation. I would also like to specifically thank the production manager, who has ensured exceptional figures given the reduced workforce, our CFO, who has taken charge of the crisis management unit and our health and safety manager, who has been involved in ensuring staff safety.

Were you able to respond to customer demand?

The customer demand has been very strong and our deliveries have been 95% of what we usually achieve. We sensed a concern from customers who wondered if we would continue to deliver products to them, but we were able to deliver 95% of the orders. Stocks are currently low but we will replenish them with the return of staff during the subsequent period.

Are you confident on exiting confinement?  

We are hoping now that all employees will be back at the company so that we can be 100% operational, as we have to replenish stocks, the customer demands are substantial, the order book is nearly full. We are, however, encountering some shipping problems, especially to Asian countries, as ships are less frequent and some containers are stuck in Marseille. Shipments are operating correctly for Europe and the rest of the world. For a packaging manufacturer, the key to its operation is that the logistics work. Our subcontractors have all reopened (for those who had closed), I am fairly confident, but the uncertainty remains significant, we are very far upstream in the production chain, as are our customers, and their visibility is low. I am concerned that the recovery will take several months, I would say at least six months and with some hiccups.

Luke Tournaire, what have you concluded from this crisis? 

This crisis has been an opportunity to experience the solidarity of local businesses. We have been helped on several occasions by local companies in order to obtain hydroalcoholic gel (difficult to find in mid-March). This solidarity, I hope will last afterwards because it is an essential element for the success of a region